Maelstrom: The Youngest Avenger
by Bonesboy15
Summary: Post-Avengers/Sai&Sasuke arc: Naruto's encounter with Orochimaru and Kabuto came to a quick and sudden end when he was plucked from his universe and sent to another. Who are these strange people, and why do they care so much?
1. Anger

**You should have expected this...Especially after the awesome opening to the first of (hopefully) many awesome summer movies.**

**My Marvel answer to Kitsune: Son of Catwoman. But like every chapter of that story was a 'episode', this will have an Issue.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own neither the Marvel Film Universe nor Naruto...this is my own idea.**

**Maelstrom: The Youngest Avenger**

**Issue 1: Anger**

* * *

A small blue light shined in the penthouse of the in-progress reconstruction of Stark Tower. The light came from the center of a man's chest, his sleeping form being sprawled on a small futon in the center of the room. The man had a neatly trimmed goatee and a thin dark mustache on his face, his dark hair was sticking out randomly from his tossing in effort to find comfort. This was the famous billionaire/playboy Anthony Edward Stark, preferring to be called Tony by those close to him.

To the world he was also known as the armored hero, Iron Man.

A robotic voice spoke in the tower, "_Mister Stark. Doctor Banner is asking for your presence in Lab 8. He says its urgent._"

Tony groaned and rolled to his other side, throwing his arm over his shoulder and waving it tiredly, "...Mm, tell Bruce I'm sleeping Jarvis."

"_I'm sorry sir, but Dr. Banner is rather insisting that you join him,_" J.A.R.V.I.S. (which is an acronym for **J**ust **A** **R**ather **V**ery **I**ntelligent **S**ystem) said, almost pleadingly.

"Grow a spine..." the inventor yawned out as he rolled with a grunt, "What could be so important?"

"_He says that it has to do with...The 'Other Guy'_." The artificial intelligence stated in finality, which made Tony's dark eyes snap open. The man sat up and looked out the window.

"...Come again?" Tony asked with furrowed brows.

A new voice cut in over the PA system with a chuckle, "_Sorry Tony. I really need to talk to you, though. In a way, it does concern the, uh, Other Guy._"

"I shouldn't have let you have access to Jarvis' PA system. Fine, I'll be down in a snap," Tony grumbled as he stood and rubbed his eyes with his finger and thumb. Another chuckle came from across the PA and Tony shook his head before walking to the closet and pulling a Iron Maiden shirt on. Scratching the back of his head, Tony went to his personal elevator and went down to the lab his 'temperamental' friend.

_What could he want? Don't tell me he's trying to create a form of control over Hulk...I thought I convinced him that he was better off,_ the billionaire thought to himself before shrugging and pulling his cell phone out. The flimsy, high-tech device flickered on with a simple touch and turned it onto its side, the screen following like a certain business' phone, before sliding his thumb across the screen. He stopped and selected the image of a redheaded woman with blue eyes, underneath the image was her name: Pepper.

The phone rang for a moment, Tony rocking on his feet due to his impatience, before a tired woman picked up, "_Ngh...hello?_"

"Hey Pepper," Tony greeted with a purposely over-chipper tone in his voice. He stifled a snicker when he received a growl from the woman. Virginia Potts, whom he and her friends affectionately called 'Pepper', was _not_ a morning person. Now being the CEO of Stark Enterprises, his former-assistant-turned-girlfriend had more responsibilities than just making sure he kept himself 'clean' because as the original CEO and face of the company, he still had to keep out of negative press.

"_Tony...It's four-thirty in the morning. I have a meeting with Rhodey's bosses in six hours. Why, in the name of God, would you call me at four-thirty?_" Pepper asked with a noticeable growl in her voice. A small part of Tony felt bad at disrupting his girlfriend's sleep, but he brushed it aside.

Where's the fun if he feels bad?

"Oh, sorry I forgot," Tony lied before he continued, "Bruce had Jarvis wake me up over _something_ and I...well I did want to wish you luck in the conference."

Pepper sighed, "_Yeah, fine. Tell Bruce I said hi. Oh, and did you send those flowers to Phil's cellist girlfriend?_"

At the mention of the dead S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Tony's mood fell, "Yeah. She sent us an invitation to his funeral."

"_Did Director Fury release his body?_"

"So he says," Tony muttered as he shook his head, "I think I'll-"

"_You're NOT doing anything to his body before, during, or after Phil's funeral, Tony._"

The inventor chuckled, "You know me too well. I might have to hire one of Fury's spy friends to kill you."

Pepper tiredly giggled, "_I'll call Natty for help then._"

Tony frowned, "How'd you two get so pals-y-wals-y behind my back?"

"_Similar interests, Mr. Avenger,_" the woman tittered out with an unseen but heard smile, "_Listen Tony...I really have to get back to sleep._"

"No, yeah, I understand," Tony said as his elevator started to slow, "I'm almost at Bruce's lab anyway. I'll call you later."

"_Goodbye Tony. Love you._"

Tony internally winced. Expressing emotion was hard for him, and even though he did love Pepper, saying it was another story. He mumbled into the speaker, "I (_unintelligible_) you, too Pepper."

The conversation ended with a click and the dark haired inventor frowned as he pocketed his phone. The man shook his head before looking up at the opening elevator doors. Putting a smile on his face, he walked over to the brown haired man wearing a flannel shirt and dark brown cargos. The man was looking down with a frown at his phone.

"What's wrong Bruce? Your, uh, _friend_ keeping you up?" Tony asked as he approached the mild-mannered man. Doctor Bruce Banner, a scientific genius in his own right, looked up and gave a nervous smile. Well, nervous was how the man always acted, considering he was pumped full of Gamma radiation and turned into a rage-fueled monster that some referred to as The Hulk.

Personally, Tony thought the Hulk was incredible.

"Sorry about this Tony," Bruce apologized before pocketing his phone and offering the man his hand, "A friend of mine just called. He and his, uh, associate helped me when I was trying to get rid of 'The Other Guy'. You may know him; Dr. Stephen Strange."

"The neurologist?" Tony asked with an arched brow, "I thought he lost his license?"

"Actually, he was forced to quit after an accident," Bruce said as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Please don't bring it up. Now he's an...well he's a highly influential advisor."

"What, is he a shrink?" Tony asked with a smirk, "That's gotta be fun."

"He's...you have to see it to believe it," Bruce replied with a strained smile. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, sure, but if _he_ has a suit of combat armor I'm suing," the billionaire joked. Bruce chuckled.

"I highly doubt it'll come to that..._ever_," the scientist replied, "Anyway, he's asked for my-_our_ help."

"My help?"

Bruce gave another strained smile, "Actually he asked for the 'Other Guy' and I, but I'd be more...comfortable if you came with me."

Tony gave his colleague and friend a grin as he threw an arm over Bruce's shoulders, leading him into the billionaire's personal elevator, "I've always wanted to meet the brilliant Dr. Strange. That and you've peaked my curiosity with your chosen words."

Tony had JARVIS send the MK 7's wristbands down to the garage, and put them on when he and Bruce got down there.

"Just in case," the inventor told the curious scientist. Bruce told him to drive to New York's Greenwich Village, 117A Bleecker Street to be specific. Tony nodded and led the scientist to his 2012 Acura NSX. A short drive later, they were walking up the steps to a wooden door of an old building. Banner knocked on the door and a young man of Asian descent immediately opened it on the second knock with a shaved head answered. He wore a blue robe and gave a small smile to the two men.

"Ah, Dr. Banner, you've made it-Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Stark," the man said apologetically, "I wasn't expecting you, nor was Master Strange. Come, come, Master Strange is struggling and I must swap out with him so he may explain the situation."

"Thank you, Wong," Bruce said with a grateful smile, Tony giving a small nod before they followed the man in. Tony leaned over to Bruce.

"Since when is Strange running a dojo?" he whispered with confusion. Before Bruce could respond, Wong released a chuckle and looked over his shoulder at the two geniuses.

"Master Strange is not a sensei in martial arts...but he is a Master," Wong cryptically answered the sarcastic question. Tony looked at Bruce, who merely nodded in agreement, before he shrugged.

"Whatever. Lead the way, Wong-Kong," Tony said to the apparent servant. Bruce shook his head at his friend's antics and if Wong took offense to Stark's words, he didn't show it.

Walking down the stairs to a cellar, the two Avengers became more and more unnerved before Bruce stopped on the stairs, making Tony and Wong look at him. The scientist was literally shaking in place and was wringing his hands, his eyes glancing everywhere at once. He felt like he was running from General Ross again, like a squad of Hulk-busters (as they called themselves) were about to pop out at any moment.

"Hey," Tony said, poking him in the side. Banner jumped up a step and Tony gave a concerned frown, "Banner, you ok?"

Bruce sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "No...No I'm not ok. Something's got my nerves working over time."

Tony looked down at an equally concerned Wong, who glanced away and murmured to himself in a foreign tongue. The servant looked up and asked, "Does it bother the beast?"

"No, well...kind of," Bruce admitted, pinching the bridge of his nose, "It's making my head hurt. A sign that the, uh-"

"Hulk feels threatened?" Tony supplied with his brows up before they narrowed and he pulled his phone out, "Jarvis, I need the MK 7 ready to deploy."

"_Of course, sir,_" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied in his proper tone before a confused one took over, "_Sir...where are you? The GPS in your car says you're parked on Bleecker St, but your implanted GPS is being...blocked._"

Tony's eyes went to Wong, who held a hand up, "All will be explained. Come, my Master needs us."

Tony looked at Bruce, who shook his head, "I'm fine now. The feeling passed."

The three continued down the stairs before they came to a door with a pentagram on it. Wong muttered under his breath and the silver pentagram glowed a light yellow before it faded and the door opened. Looking at the awed duo, Wong gave a stern warning, "Whatever you do, please keep your distance."

Tony arched his brow before he entered the room. A feeling of death washed over him and he quickly looked to his right, his eyes widening at what he saw. A man with dark hair, silver streaks along the sides and a beard much like his own, stood across from a snarling teenager. The man wore a blue tunic over dark slacks, red gloves on his hands and a red cape with gold fringe on his back. The teenage boy had blonde hair, which looked wild and unruly, slit red eyes, and enlonged fangs and nails. The most striking feature was the jagged scars on his cheeks, three on either one, giving him a feral appearance.

Well...that and the blonde teen was nude.

"Bruce...are you seeing this?" Stark asked with disbelief in his eyes as the boy struggled against the flickering yellow cage that was projected around him.

Bruce removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes before he replied, "I'm seeing it, Tony...Still working on believing it."

"Master, switch!" Wong called as he ran past them and held his hands in the same manner as the caped man. The man dropped his arms at his sides before collapsing to his knees.

Looking up, the man gave a grin before he got to his feet and approached Bruce. The man offered the scientist a hand, and got a numb handshake from him, before he spoke to the billionaire, "Ah, Mr. Stark. Welcome to my home, the Sanctum Santorum. I am Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme. You've met my assistant Wong."

Tony numbly nodded before looking at the assistant, "What...What are you doing to that boy?"

Strange looked over at the blonde and a frown came over him, "I'm subduing his demon. I'll be brief, because Wong isn't as strong as myself. The boy appeared only forty-five minutes ago, unconscious and nude. When I woke him, he began speaking in Japanese, leaping at me and interrogating me. He demanded I tell him where I hid someone, but when I continued to ask who, he started to lose control. I can tell he recently lost someone, but his rage made him lose himself to the demon that resided within."

"What is he?" Tony asked with a frown, "Alien? Asgardian?"

"Neither. All I know is he is possessed by a demon." Strange said, looking to Bruce before he continued, "Who draws power from intense emotions..."

Banner gave a frown before he spoke, "I try to avoid stressful environments."

"I saw that news report a month ago that says otherwise," the Sorcerer replied with a pointed look, "Banner. You need to change and knock him out. Killing or trying to is ill advised."

"In the middle of Greenwich Village? You saw what happened to Harlem and New York City, right?" Tony intervened on his friend's behalf. Dr. Strange gave the inventor an amused look.

"Yes, in fact I did see, but Bruce knows he can let 'himself' out in the Santorum," the Sorcerer replied. Tony looked to a sheepish scientist who wrung his hands again. Bruce looked from Tony to Strange before he sighed.

"You're sure he needs to be knocked out? Can't you use sedatives?" Bruce asked almost pleadingly, only to receive a negative shake of his head. The top scientist concerning Gamma radiation sighed again before pulling his glasses out and giving them to Tony. The two men stepped back as he walked towards the caged blonde, but unknown to the two Avengers Strange had cast a spell under his breath to make the room longer than it looked. He knew that Dr. Banner's 'other half' preferred a running start.

_I can't believe I'm going to do this..._Banner thought before he focused on his anger and began to change. His body grew until he was nearly nine feet tall, ripped, and _green_. The green skinned being gave a snarl before he growled and ran towards the caged blonde. Wong heard the stomps and released the containment spell, leaping back as the blonde was tackled by Hulk.

"...You know, he's gonna need a new pair of pants after this," Tony said as he watched Hulk stand and pick the struggling blonde up. Strange gave an amused snort.

"I'm aware."

* * *

Hulk growled at the blonde in his grip. His other half, Banner, was telling him the blonde was the target. The Gamma Beast snorted and slammed the teen into the concrete, being careful to keep from completely destroying the floor and killing the human. Banner was adamant about not killing humans, but Hulk didn't care most of the time.

"Humph," Hulk snorted again, looking over at the three men watching him from a distance. Recognizing them, Hulk smirked and prepared himself to run towards them. They were all strong and Hulk wanted to fight.

He didn't notice the glowing red fist until it was too late.

**"(**_**DIE**_**)!"** snarled the blonde as Hulk was sent through the wall. Tony's mouth popped open and he looked at Strange, who was already chanting under his breath.

"What the _hell_ just happened?" the billionaire asked as he looked back at the snarling and glowing blonde. His nude form was now surrounded by red energy, two long rabbit-like ears sprouted from the top and a thick single tail-like appendage appeared at the base of his spine.

Wong's answer was drowned out by Hulk's infuriated roar. Tony looked back to see the large being tackle the blonde again, grabbing his arm and throwing him over his shoulder through the hole he had made. Hulk gave another growl and braced himself as he saw the blonde flip in the air, land on his feet, and fly right back at him. Hulk roared again as he cocked his right fist back.

_Hulk smash red boy! Red boy weaker than Hulk!_ The Gamma being thought as he threw his right hand out, catching the blonde in his jaw. The blonde soared back once again, but his tail grew and wrapped around Hulk's neck. Immediately, Hulk grabbed at the appendage, his arms straining to remove it from him as the blonde continued to fly. The teen landed on the wall of the other room, his body curled up like an animal waiting to pounce, before he did just that.

The blonde drove his shoulder into Hulk's gut, making Hulk release the blonde's tail. Hulk landed on his back with a groan, but his hand tightened when he felt the teen attempting to leap off him. Swinging his arm away from his allies, Hulk sat up with a grunt before baring his teeth at the equally snarling teen.

**"(**_**Just die, damn you! I have to kill him! He has to die!**_**)"** the boy said in a strange language. Hulk growled and ran towards him with his left fist ready to strike him.

"Puny red boy be quiet!" Hulk roared as he threw a left hook. The blonde took the blow in his jaw before he skid back and slammed into the wall. Dazed he shook his head, but before he could ready himself, Hulk was on the boy with a large fist to the gut. The blonde bent over and the red energy surrounding him faded. The boy's red eyes became half-lidded and he fell to his knees when Hulk removed his fist.

"Puny human," Hulk scoffed as he clasped his hands together and drove them onto the boy's skull. Rather than being split open, which mildly shocked the Hulk and completely awed the others watching, the boy simply fell face-first to the ground, out like a light.

Hulk snorted and picked the teen up, carrying him over his shoulder to the three watching. He dropped the boy before eyeing Tony, grunting as he began to change back into the puny Banner.

Bruce stumbled and instantly grabbed his oversized pants, keeping himself decent in front of the three other men before looking down at the blonde, "I...Got him?"

"Yeah...Yeah, I think you did," Tony said as he watched Wong cover the boy with a blanket before he picked him up.

Dr. Strange looked at the two and motioned for them to follow while he in turn followed Wong. Wong went up the stairs and stopped outside a door, which he opened with a simple nudge with his foot. The assistant to the Sorcerer Supreme laid his package on the bale of hay in the center of the floor before he bowed to Strange.

"The boy is unconscious, Master," Wong said, "It is safe to begin the soul-walk."

* * *

**What do you think? I was persuaded to add in the X-Men series. I will be introducing some other Avengers later on though.**


	2. What Lies Within

**My Marvel answer to Kitsune: Son of Catwoman. But like every chapter of that story was a 'episode', this will have an Issue.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own neither the Marvel Film Universe nor Naruto...this is my own idea.**

**Maelstrom: The Youngest Avenger**

**Issue 2: What Lies Within**

* * *

"'Soul-walk?' What the hell is a 'Soul-walk'?" Tony asked Dr. Strange. The sorcerer ignored the dark haired inventor and nodded to Wong. The assistant bowed and vacated the room. Strange went to the blonde teen's side and placed a hand on his head. Tony and Bruce watched, before the former stepped forward, "Hey, Strange, what the hell is a Soul-Walk?"

"Tony, maybe you should leave him alone," Bruce suggested. Tony waved his fellow Avenger off and took another step towards the former neurosurgeon.

"Strange! I'm talking to you; what is a Soul-walk?" the billionaire asked, a little miffed at being brushed off. The Sorcerer Supreme removed his hand and glared at the inventor for interfering with his work. Standing to face the man, Dr. Strange crossed his arms over his chest.

"Mr. Stark, if you must know what a Soul-walk is, I will gladly explain it to you," he said, receiving an expectant look from the inventor and a curious one from the scientist. Strange narrowed his eyes, "However, I cannot explain it until I finish checking the boy. His body is still recovering from his arrival and the demonic beast within him had taken advantage."

"Demonic beast? That was a common psychological meltdown or-or a drug trip gone bad for a mutant! He's better off at that institute down in New Jersey!" Stark countered with a scowl.

"Tony, uh-" Bruce tried to interject but was drowned out by the inventor's hypothesizing rant, "Furthermore, the energy he released was similar, if not, radioactive! We could be at risk if we don't quarantine him! And what about child services, did you contact them yet? He could be a runaway. Or-or-or a experiment from a laboratory, no offense Bruce."

"None taken, but Tony-" "Do you know a guy named Fury? S.H.I.E.L.D.'s commander? Tall black guy, one eye, kind of hard to forget actually. Does he know about you? Because I'm certain none of his files had anything to say about you."

"Mr. Stark, please calm down," Dr. Strange suggested with hardened eyes, getting a small glare from the man, "As to your question, yes. I do in fact know Director Fury. Do I operate under him? No. Do I advise him? At times. Like when the Asgardians came to Earth, or when he wanted to know more about the Chitauri or the Cosmic Cube."

"The what?"

"Oh yes, it's referred to as the _tesseract_, isn't it?" Strange mused before shrugging, "Anyway, the boy is not of this earth-"

"He's an alien?" Bruce inquired. Strange gave the scientist an uneasy smile.

"In a way, I suppose you could say that," the man said before he looked back at the unconscious boy, "But he's more of an inter-dimensional being like Thor or-"

"Loki, yeah, we've met the guy," Tony answered with a scowl as he crossed his arms, "Freaking showboat."

_Look who's calling the kettle black, Mr. Pot_, Bruce thought with an amused smile as he glanced at his friend. Tony sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut.

"I need a drink." He muttered under his breath, but the two other men heard it nonetheless.

Dr. Strange gestured to the door, "Wong is preparing beverages in the main study. Down the hall to the right, third door from the end on your left. You shall find a bar and...several items of interest."

Bruce and Tony gave thankful nods while Strange went back to the blonde lying on the bale of hay, but as they left the room, Strange called out, "Oh and Mr. Stark? Please restrain yourself from touching anything!"

Bruce chuckled at the playful pout that crossed the billionaire's face.

Strange looked down at the boy and sat down to his side, crossing his legs and taking a meditative position. His eyes calmly shut and the amulet around his neck shined a bright blue. Strange put his hand on the blonde's forehead and concentrated, feeling his spiritual body leaving the physical one.

* * *

Strange's eyes snapped open and he found himself in a sewer. Around his feet, water leaked slightly and the sorcerer quickly levitated to avoid being in contact with it. A frown marred the man's face as he lightly grasped his chin in thought, _Curious. The boy holds a lot of sorrow within himself. And a sewer as a landscape...interesting._

Strange floated down the sewer, rising slightly as the water did, before he came into a large room. A large cage sat in front of the sorcerer and he took note immediately of the paper seal that was in front of it. Intrigued, the man moved forward and examined the writing on it.

_Hm...Paper seal, kanji written on it, must be a native of the parallel dimension of our future's-past eastern region. The land just above Makai, the Eastern Demonic realm. Even stranger is the translation: "Here lies Kurama the Kyuubi no Kitsune, until the Death God claims its soul." Well, that answers a few questions...but I must admit that I don't know enough about the dimension the boy comes from._

Strange's thoughts were disrupted by a teen's shout, "(_Hey! Get the Hell away from that! Who are you and what are you doing in my mind, 'ttebayo?_)"

He turned and saw the same boy, only this time dressed in a orange and black jacket, a black bandana with a metal plate on the front, and orange pants. Strange thought about the boy's language, not surprised it was similar to one from his dimension.

_Crude Japanese. Possibly an ancient mix of Chinese thrown in there. Hope I'm not too rusty or Wong may have to do this,_ the Sorcerer mused before he bowed and greeted the blonde, "(_Hello, boy. My name is Doctor Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme. I'm sorry to intrude but only minutes ago your physical body became enshrouded by demonic aura and you attacked me._)"

At this, the blonde's face drained of color and worry, "(_Oh man, are you ok? Did I...Did I hurt anyone?_)"

"(_No, no. We managed to knock you unconscious before anything could happen. If I may ask, who are you and where are you from?_)" Strange asked with an arched brow of curiosity. The blonde gave a grin and the water lowered slightly. Strange noticed that the boy's ankles were still in the water.

"(_My name's Naruto Uzumaki, future Fire-Shadow, dattebayo! I'm a genin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves!_)" the now named Naruto exclaimed with a wide smile. Strange chuckled and nodded.

_Konohagakure no Sato, huh? A strange name...but what's even more curious is that he claims he is a genin...a ninja. Time to investigate,_ thought the Sorcerer Supreme. Before Strange could speak, a malicious feeling overcame him and he quickly spun around, coming face-to-face with a giant red...eye?

"**(**_**Boy! Who is this intruder you've let in? What is his purpose and why does he speak like he is a scholar?**_**)"** a deep voice asked, getting a scoff from the blonde teen.

"(_Screw you, Fox! You almost made me kill this guy!_)" Naruto cried as he pointed at the Sorcerer Supreme. Naruto crossed his arms defiantly and the fox gave a low growl.

"**(**_**You forget your place, boy! I am the Nine-tailed Demon Fox! Lord of Hell, bringer of death and destruction, and the living entity of chaos itself!**_**)"** The demon roared. Naruto kicked water at the large fox and pulled the bottom of his eyelid down, sticking his tongue out.

"(_Nyah, nyah, nyah! You're the bastard fox that attacked my village! I'll keep you contained for the rest of my life and when I die, you can go straight to Hell!_)" the blonde shouted at the fox, who roared in outrage. A large claw shot out and tried to strike the blonde, but it was stopped by a blue shield coming from the hands of the Sorcerer Supreme.

"**(**_**You dare interfere mortal? I shall devour your soul!**_**)"** the Kyuubi roared. Dr. Strange narrowed his eyes and he glared at the entity.

"(_I am Dr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme!_)" his declaration made the infuriated Kyuubi's eyes widen, "(_You__ forget __your__ place, Kurama! You are just one of nine, and if I so wish it, I can banish you to the depths of Mephistopheles' realm!_)"

"**(**_**...S-Sorcerer Supreme?**_**)"** Kurama swallowed as he shrank back into himself. Neither took notice of Naruto's confusion, continuing to stare the other down, one out of fear and awe, but the other out of disapproval and anger.

"(_Oi! What's going on here?_)" Naruto cried in confusion, getting their attention. The blonde pointed at the Fox, "(_You were totally in your 'roar! I'm the Kyuubi, bow or die!' and then he comes up with a chakra bubble or something and calls himself a sorcerer, which makes you turn into a little baby! And what was that about a Kurama? Who's Kurama?_)"

"**(**_**I'm Kurama, you idiot!**_**)"** the fox roared, pressing his head against the cell that kept it bound. Naruto blinked in awe before looking at Dr. Strange.

"(_Okay...what's a sorcerer then?_)" Naruto asked before he became starry-eyed, "(_Is that some sort of ninja? Can you teach me that awesome bubble thing? Ooh, or maybe shoot lasers from my eyes, 'ttebayo!_)"

The fox behind bars gave a sigh at his container's idiocy whereas Dr. Strange gave a chuckle at the boy's excitement. Waving his hands to relax the blonde, Strange smiled before he spoke, "(_Naruto-san, I'm not a ninja. A sorcerer is a person that deals in the arts of mysticism and magic. The Sorcerer Supreme, which is what I am, is the most powerful mystic in the world and is charged with the duty to keep the dimensions separated or at least in peace with one another._)"

Naruto blinked before tilting his head to the right, "(_What?_)"

Kurama snorted, **"(**_**He's saying he's not a ninja, you pitiful excuse for a hairless ape!**_**)"**

Naruto's head fell before he looked back up, "(_Wait, you said something about a different world..._)"

"(_That's right,_)" Strange said with a nod, "(_You're currently in the 199999th dimension._)"

Naruto and Kurama felt their eyes widen and both had their jaws drop. The blonde, or rather the more eccentric of the two, began flailing his arms wildly, "(_I'M IN A DIFFERENT DIMENSION! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO ME? HOW DO I GET BACK? I WANT TO GET HOME! I HAVE TO TAKE SASUKE BACK HOME! I-_)"

"**(**_**WILL YOU SHUT UP?**_**)"** Kurama roared, his ire having been pushed to the limit already by his container's antics. Naruto stopped and glared at the fox, his mouth opening in order to speak, only for his jaw to snap shut as the fox growled, **"(**_**You open your mouth one more time and I'll make damn sure your stomach cannot handle that dreadful noodle dish you adore so much.**_**)"**

"(_Y-You wouldn't! You can't!_)" Naruto exclaimed with wide eyes. Strange shook his head and stood between them.

"(_Silence!_)" the two bickering occupants of the blonde's soul-scape went quiet as the Sorcerer Supreme's voice boomed in the area. Strange looked over to the blonde's tenant, "(_Did you bring your host here or not?_)"

Kurama snorted, **"(**_**As if I would transport myself to another monkey-ruled dimension.**_**)"**

"(_I figured as much,_)" Dr. Strange sighed before looking at the blonde, "(_Naruto-san, what happened before you appeared before me. When you arrived, you demanded I tell you where Sasuke was, but when I asked who Sasuke was, you snapped and Kurama's influence took over._)"

Naruto crossed his arms and bowed his head as he thought before he slammed the bottom of his fist into an open palm, "(_I remember! Yamato-sensei, Sakura-chan, Sai and I were confronting Orochimaru-teme and Kabuto-teme! I don't remember much...but I do remember that snake-faced bastard giving me a smug smirk!_)"

_So...The infamous story in his reality is different than ours. I wonder by how much..._Strange thought before he nodded, "(_I see. Naruto-san, I will tell you now that I cannot send you back. Allow me to explain before you...flip. Opening dimensional portals uses an immense amount of power. I wouldn't be surprised if you were summoned here by an Asgardian or by...I wonder..._)"

Naruto tilted his head in silent inquiry, only to receive a shake of the head. Dr. Strange looked to the blonde and said, "(_Naruto-san, I'm going to research ways for you to return home, in the meantime, however, I will have a friend of mine help you blend in._)"

Naruto nodded sadly before sighing, "(_Man...Granny Tsunade is gonna kick my ass if I don't get home._)"

Strange cocked a brow in amusement before looking to the demon. The Kitsune snorted and laid back down before it spoke, **"(**_**It matters not when I return, so long as the boy does not die in the process. Dying because of his stupidity is one thing, dying from his weakness is an insult to my honor.**_**)"**

"(_OI!_)"

Dr. Strange remained silent for a moment before an idea came to him. The fox was dangerous, despite being sealed away in a human, but the influence he has on the blonde's emotions could cause the boy problems. Deciding to act on his musing, he looked at the blonde "(_Naruto-san, do you like having Kurama inside you?_)"

Naruto gave the man a deadpanned look, "(_He's a freaking __demon__._)"

Strange shrugged, "(_You'd be surprised how many people would like that sort of power. Now Kurama, what would you say if I said I could free you?_)"

"(_WHAT?_)"

"**(**_**What is your gain in this, Sorcerer?**_**)"** the demon asked the former neurosurgeon with narrowed eyes, **"(**_**You wouldn't offer this unless it benefitted you in some way.**_**)"**

"(_True, but I need to ensure that Naruto-san stays out of trouble on his own without your influence affecting him,_)" Dr. Strange pointed out, getting a reluctant agreeing nod from the Kitsune, "(_Thus, if I remove your soul from his, I can ensure you stay out of trouble. The cost would be the power that is sealed within the boy, and you would be rendered a normal fox._)"

Kurama hummed before nodding his head, **"(**_**This...I can accept. Unlike you meat-sacks, I will not age and regain my power. The boy needs power, this much is certain, if he is to do what his teacher believes of him. The fool believes I care only for destruction, but my reasons for doing said destruction are my own.**_**)"**

"(_Tch, if you ask me it's because you're just another asshole,_)" Naruto snorted as he crossed his arms. The fox growled at his container before snapping his gaze to the Sorcerer Supreme.

"**(**_**The sooner I am free from his obnoxious behavior the better**_**,)"** growled the demon before he shut his eyes and fell silent. Dr. Strange nodded and looked at the blonde, who was glaring at the fox behind the bars.

"(_I don't trust him,_)" the blonde muttered. Strange nodded understandingly, but this wasn't the boy's call. As Sorcerer Supreme, he had to ensure that the balance between the dimensions wouldn't falter. With a demon-controlled human, no one could be sure how his dimension would be affected.

"(_Then trust me,_)" Strange said to the boy, who looked at him. Dr. Strange gave a soft smile, "(_I promise you, Naruto-san, he will not be a threat if I remove his soul from your own._)"

Naruto clenched his jaw before nodding once, "(_Fine._)"

Dr. Strange nodded back before he faded from the boy's soul, leaving an awed teen and a disgruntled demon behind.

* * *

Strange's blue eyes opened and he stood, looking down at the boy he knew as Naruto before walking to the main study, where he found Tony Stark enjoying brandy and Bruce Banner flipping through a book. Wong looked up from his place meditating and got to his feet.

"Master Strange?" Wong inquired, "What may I do?"

"I need the cadaver of a fox, any species will do, and in relatively good condition," the Sorcerer Supreme instructed, "And prepare the soul transference gem. The boy needs immediate treatment."

Wong bowed and left to do as instructed. Tony snorted, "Treatment...what, you're curing his insanity?"

Strange glared at the man, "The boy is in perfect mental health, but I've heard of your more...rambunctious activities before the Chitauri invasion."

"In my own defense, I thought I was dying," the billionaire pointed out. Strange shook his head while Bruce chuckled. The scientist looked to the sorcerer after he placed the book he was reading away.

"So?" the gamma specialist inquired. Dr. Strange rubbed his temples with his left hand and heaved a sigh.

"I've made a deal with the devil within the boy," he said, ignoring Tony's snort of disagreement, "The boy is strong willed and comes from a dimension similar to what some philosophers refer to as Future's Past, in which the inhabitants are more evolved than us but lack our technology, save for some early machines, like microwaves for example."

"Um, excuse me?" Tony interjected with a raised hand, "You're honestly telling us that this kid is from an alternate dimension?"

"Tony, you've met Thor _in person_," Bruce deadpanned. The billionaire waved a hand.

"Yeah, yeah...But this kid could just be another one of those uh, whatchamacallits..._mutants_! Why do you think he's from a different reality?" Tony asked. Strange shook his head.

"An alternate dimension, Mr. Stark, not reality. The difference between the two is similar people within two dimensions could not exist, whereas one person depicted in two realities can exist, be different sexes. Realities also tend to follow the same timeline two a certain point-" Strange was interrupted by the billionaire once again.

"Until some drastic event does or does not occur, yeah I know," Tony said, "But _why_ is this kid from a different reality?"

Strange glared at the man, "I was getting to that. Young Naruto Uzumaki, which is the boy's name, is a member of a militarized village...of ninja."

Tony and Bruce blinked before the billionaire put his drink down started to talk, "Wait, wait, you mean a large 'clan' right? There's no historical evidence of militarized villages full of _ninja_."

"Which is why I believe he is from the Future's Past, that along with the fact he holds a demon with a seal with Kanji that was written on it far too advanced for the period, and having a sewer for a soul-scape. As we know, the Romans developed the first sewer system, and it had taken time for the eastern nations to duplicate their sewers," Strange explained, "A soul-scape, also known to some as a mindscape, is where a spiritual manifestation of one's self can explore and attempt to fix their souls. The boy has no family ties, which is proven by the single destination within the sewer, otherwise he would have more branching tunnels with a much...brighter landscape. I believe, gentlemen, that young Naruto has been abused and was a foster child."

"Doubt he'll want a pity party," muttered Tony as he poured a refill for his drink. Bruce sat down and ran a hand over his face.

"Mental, emotional, physical?" he asked. Strange sighed.

"Most likely emotional. Sewers or other dreary locations tend to reflect on sorrow, heavy sorrow," the sorcerer replied as he rubbed his head, "But until I can talk with him about it-"

"Master Strange?" Wong interrupted by poking into the room, earning the men's attention, "He's ready."

Strange nodded and looked at his two houseguests, "We'll continue this another time gentlemen."

* * *

**AN: Well, Strange and Naruto have talked. Kurama might get free? How will this affect Naruto? Or the Marvel Universe for that manner?**

**You know the drill friends.**

**REVIEW!**


	3. Inside Out

**DISCLAIMER: I own neither the Marvel Film Universe nor Naruto...this is my own idea.**

**Maelstrom: The Youngest Avenger**

**Issue 3: Inside Out**

* * *

"Is that the corpse of a _vulpes corsac_?" Banner asked as Wong carefully laid the body of a grey furred fox down next to the blonde teen. The scientist knelt next to the animal's corpse and examined it. It was about three feet long total, from head to tail at least; the body itself was just over two feet whereas the tail was just shy of one.

"Yes, this corsac fox was raised by the Ancient One, Master Strange's former master," Wong answered as he smiled sadly down at the animal's form, fond memories of the creature in question coming to mind. Shaking the feeling off, Wong placed a hand on the scientist's shoulder, "Please step back and follow me. We must leave this to Master Strange."

Tony, who was skeptical, frowned, "Yeah, um...I think I'll be staying here. No disrespect to you, Strange, but I would prefer to see this in person."

"If that's what you wish, please refrain from interfering with this as it is a tedious process, that's all I ask. Now, if it's not too much trouble, I will begin," Dr. Strange said as he stood with his hands extended over the teen's body. Wong and Bruce stepped back, further than the billionaire was, and watched with curiosity. Wong had heard of the technique his master was about to use, but he had never seen it, whereas Bruce, as a scientist, was just curious in general of the ability he was about to witness.

Strange took a large inhale of air before he spoke in an ancient language that sounded like gibberish to Tony and Bruce, **"(Souls occupying one body and mind, separate! Power of the demon god, release your owner! Soul Transferal!)"**

There was a large flash of light, causing the two Avengers to shield their eyes, before it died down and Strange sighed. Tony blinked several times before he spoke, "What...that's it?"

"Hopefully, yes," the Sorcerer Supreme answered with a nod, before kneeling down to scoop the fox up, "For now, I will place the demon in a sealed room until it wakens."

**"Humph, you think of me as merely a mortal,"** the fox said, its mouth moving like a human's would. Tony and Bruce blinked several times as their jaws became unhinged and popped open. The former found himself attempting to find words, his mouth moving like he were a fish out of water, whereas the latter quickly overcame his shock and approached the fox.

Bruce placed two fingers on the fox's neck, ignoring the warning growl given, and looked at his watch. He blinked before putting a finger over the fox's right eye and his thumb underneath it, using a small flashlight Wong handed to him to examine the pupil.

"This...this is amazing!" Bruce said in awe after examining the fox and moving to touch it, "It's alive! Strange, you really brought it back to life...How? The people we could save..."

**"Hey! Flesh-bag! I'm not undead!"** the fox spat, nipping at the scientist's hand, **"I'm the Kyuubi no Kitsune and-!"**

"More like the Ichibi no Kitsune, Kurama," Strange interjected with a smirk. Kurama's mouth froze before he looked up with hardened red eyes glaring at the amused magician.

**"No words can accurately describe how much I despise you right now, Sorcerer..."** Kurama growled lowly before looking over at the covered blonde. Smirking, he said, **"Ha! The little flesh-bag can't handle my absence! I wonder if he'll die...Oh, I hope he does!"**

"Now why would you hope that?" Strange asked with a smirk, getting a deadpanned look from the fox. The Sorcerer placed the fox on a desk that he willed into the room and crossed his arms, "Why would I remove the one thing that binds you to that boy?"

**"Speak clearly Sorcerer, what do you mean?"** Kurama demanded, stomping his much smaller front left paw in anger. Bruce and Wong chuckled, one because he was reminded of a cartoon while the other was amused that the former demon lord had seemed to forget that he now had a smaller body. The effect of his visual disapproval was more humorous than frightening. Tony was still mimicking a fish, his mind still trying to rationalize what he just saw. Sure gods and aliens were one thing, but demons?

That was a whole new ball game for the armored hero.

"The seal, stupid fox," replied the Sorcerer Supreme with an eye-roll, "Why would I remove it?"

Kurama blinked. His mouth opened and then quickly shut before the fox hung its head, **"Dammit..."**

"The one question I have is how did you learn English so fast?" Strange asked, stroking his beard as he thought. The small fox looked up with a sly smirk.

**"You think I missed your earlier words when you first entered? When I resided within the boy I had a good control over his soul-scape. Intruders were noted, especially that damned Yamanaka clan...Ah, but the horrors I made them see...good times..."** The fox trailed off as he chuckled at the memories. Dr. Strange crossed his arms once again and one of his brows arched. Before he could scold the fox for abusing the minds of other beings, Tony finally regained his ability to speak.

"Oh dear Christ I've gotta lay off the scotch..."

The gathered few looked at the billionaire strangely before looking back at the snickering fox. Kurama sobered up and looked at the still slightly glaring Sorcerer Supreme. Innocently, he asked, **"What?"**

"Did you at least give young Naruto the knowledge of how to speak our language?" Strange asked. Kurama smirked.

**"Let the boy figure it out on his own,"** the fox replied. Dr. Strange pinched the bridge of his nose and released a groan. Why were all highly powerful entities and demons dicks when it came to sharing knowledge? The Sorcerer's thoughts were interrupted by a yelp and he looked up to see Wong holding the tan fox by the scruff of its neck.

"(_You will give the boy your knowledge on English, or I will skin you alive for every year it took you to grow your tails,_)" The man threatened in a different language while a neutral look remained on his face. Even Dr. Strange hadn't seen Wong act so sadistic and cruel when they last faced his evil foe Dormammu, but it was possibly due to the fact that the young monk/sorcerer-in-training had seen the original owner of the corpse and raised it alongside the Ancient One.

He did have to admit he was impressed by how large the fox's eyes grew.

The laughter that followed was disconcerting, though.

**"Foolish Human! I was **_**born**_** a Kyuubi! Your threats hold no weight against me!"** Kurama sneered to the aid. Wong blinked before smiling sweetly.

"Oh well. Don't say I didn't warn you," he said before pulling out a...razor?

Tony blinked before he snickered. Bruce and Strange looked at the eccentric billionaire in concern. His snickering quieting as Wong approached the fox, Tony looked at his two fellow witnesses before asking, "What? I'm the only one that sees the humor in that? Come on! It's a talking fox going to get shaved! How is that not funny?"

"I'm starting to wonder if Captain Rogers was right about you," Bruce slowly replied, getting a frown from the inventor.

"Traitor."

Bruce merely granted his friend a sly, timid smirk in response.

* * *

Naruto groaned as he slowly came to, vaguely noting the different language being spoken nearby. The blonde blinked once before bringing his left hand up to hold his face as he sat up. His head pounded as he rose to fast to an upright position, the blanket on his chest falling to his waist, maintaining his modesty. A hand lightly gripped his shoulder and a familiar voice spoke, "(_Here, Naruto-san, drink this._)"

A cool glass was placed into his right hand, a droplet falling over his thumb. He brought the edge to his lips and eagerly tilted it back, swallowing the cool water that was within. Only a few seconds in, Naruto coughed as the water went down a wrong pipe.

**"(**_**Heh, damn kit still has no patience,**_**)"** A familiar voice taunted. Naruto lowered the glass from his hand and glared at the speaker, his eyes landing on the first foxlike form he could find. It took a moment for it to sink in, the smaller form, lighter coat, and the not-so-malicious eyes looking back at him.

"What the hell are they saying?" Tony asked. Bruce looked at him with an arched brow of amusement. The billionaire then asked, "What? Does everyone here speak Japanese but me?"

"Don't you run a multi-national company?" the scientist asked with a bit of mirth in his voice. At Tony's confused look, Bruce rolled his eyes before he elaborated, "This whole thing's thrown you off, hasn't it? You've had to have had meetings in a Japanese country, right?"

Tony groaned, "Ugh, that's Pepper's scene. Those guys are so stiff. It's no fun."

Bruce shook his head, "I swear, you are by far the strangest CEO I've ever met."

"(_What are they saying?_)" Naruto asked Dr. Strange. The sorcerer looked at the fox with a glower, earning a very humanlike smirk, before the man with a shaved head switched on some hair clippers. Naruto laughed when the much smaller creature he had feared once long ago whined and his ears fell back. Kurama growled before locking eyes with the boy and flared the miniscule amount of energy he had.

Naruto gasped as the knowledge entered his mind and he grabbed his head with a loud groan. Dr. Strange braced the blonde by his shoulders, keeping him sitting up, before he spoke, "Did it work? Can you understand me, Naruto?"

"Ugh, you're too loud, Dr. Strange," Naruto groaned in English, his voice having a slight Brooklyn accent to it, "Eh? What happened to my voice? You damn fox, what'd you do to my voice!"

While Naruto was demanding answers from the smirking fox, Tony looked at Bruce and asked, "Highly advanced neurological implant, right?"

Bruce sighed, "Tony, I don't think it was a machine that did that."

"Oh come on! Don't tell me you believe in all that mumbo jumbo crap," the inventor said, and when he got an unsure shrug, Tony sighed, "Well...shit. This definitely means more homework for me."

Naruto, who was still ranting, was cut off by a low growl. Every set of eyes in the room locked onto the now blushing teen as he moved one hand to his stomach. Scratching the back of his head, Naruto sheepishly asked, "Uh, you guys wouldn't happen to have ramen would you?"

**"NO RAMEN!"**

The eyes then went to the growling fox. Kurama ignored them and looked at Strange directly before he spoke again, **"The kit is addicted to Ramen, I swear. What he needs is nutrients, vitamins, and meat. Lots and lots of meat."**

"Hey! Ramen has meat!" Naruto defended. The fox snorted.

**"Please. If it weren't for me manipulating the fats and salts in your damned noodles you'd still be a little midget of a hairless ape!"** The Kyuubi snarled before stamping his right paw, **"If I wanted the being that contained my power to die from malnourishment, I'd have ensured it long ago! Until I get my power back, you will not die, ningen. Am I understood?"**

"You ain't the boss of me! I have free reign over your 'power' now!" Naruto shot back, entering a glaring contest with the animal. Bruce and Tony, as awestruck as they were, both had to resist from smacking their faces. What kind of idiot fights to eat only ramen?

Oh there was much for them to learn...

"If I may," Wong interjected, before a shouting match between the two could fully begin, "Naruto was it?" Receiving a nod, the aid continued, "Naruto, despite its reasons, the fox is right. You need nutrients if you wish to continue to grow. Ramen, although a filling meal, contains none of the required nutrients for a healthy body."

The blonde frowned and crossed his arms, "So?"

_Oh boy,_ Strange thought before he spoke, "Naruto. You need to be at the highest peak of health if you want to gain control over that power. If you were to only eat Ramen for the rest of your life, you'd get some sort of heart condition."

"Didn't happen before-" **"I was still manipulating it you idiot!"** Kurama interrupted the blonde with a sharp snarl, **"You want to get back home right? THEN LISTEN TO ME!"**

"Why should I listen to you?" Naruto countered with a growl of his own, "For all I know, you're still inside me and this is an attempt to take over my body."

"Oh for the love of, would someone please just get him some ramen!" Tony shouted. The eyes turned to the billionaire and he rolled his own, "The kid's too stubborn! Get him one bowl and explain everything then. As it is, he'll die of starvation before we get him to listen to any of us!"

The group stared at him for a long time before Tony arched a brow, "What? None of you have been teenagers before?"

The resounding silence frightened him.

* * *

"So, I'm in a different dimension?" Naruto asked before he slurped up the rest of the bowl he had. After Tony, the man with the slightly glowing chest, had stood up for him and his ramen, Naruto was given a pair of pants and a white shirt before the group left him alone to get dressed. Wong, the young man in a changshan, had gotten him what Naruto would call an appetizer, and Dr. Strange began explaining the world he was in.

Strange nodded, "Indeed. Here, we have a vague knowledge of the many branches of galaxies within our universe. A good distance away we have a planetoid known as Asgard, home to the Asgardian race. There a defender of our planet, Earth, resides. If you stick around you may meet him, and as it is, he may be your best ticket home."

"Oh sure, it's just a hop, skip and a fucking billion light-years away," Tony interjected with a snort, "The kid's better off just trying to get used to our planet."

"Hm, there's a thought," Dr. Strange mused.

Naruto, however, disagreed, "No! I have ta get home! I have to save Sasuke!"

"Kid, I don't know who this Sasuke guy is, friend, boyfriend-" "DOES EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT THAT FUCKING INCIDENT?" "...Ok...Anyway, you might want to just relax a little bit," Tony suggested after Naruto exploded, his face red with embarrassment, "The point is, until Thor comes back, you're stuck here. Unless the good Sorcerer can open a portal back home."

Naruto's quickly rising hopes were squashed when said Sorcerer Supreme shook his head, "I have limited knowledge of dimensional hopping. I do know that like time travel, it can be vary dangerous to attempt."

"With how much we know now, it may not be that much longer," Bruce, who Naruto recognized vaguely as the man that changed into a huge green guy, said, "Fury either still hasn't noticed Tony's hack or has been feeding us information to keep us in the loop. The scientists working for SHIELD have been trying to replicate the transportation qualities of the Tesseract."

At this, the quiet small fox perked up, **"**_**Tesseract**_**? Do you mean the Power Cosmic? You mortals are **_**playing**_** with the **_**Power**__**Cosmic**_**?"**

Tony, Bruce, and Strange looked to the fox. Sighing the possessed corpse spoke once more, **"My...**_**father**_**, the Sage of Six Paths, had access to chakra, energy that resides in every living force. From the trees to the humans, chakra was everywhere. However, he told my brethren and myself how he learned of it before his death. A small blue cube of pure energy had arrived on our world, likely at the same time as yours, only, it wasn't hidden. One man picked it up, absorbed its knowledge, and then sent it on its merry way. Take a guess as to who that man was, and where I got most of my power from."**

Dr. Strange stroked his beard, before he realized what this could mean, "If that's true...then Naruto-"

"Has control over energy within the Tesseract?" Bruce finished. Tony rubbed his head as he looked at the very confused blonde.

"Dear God...if Fury ever found out..." he trailed off before shaking his head, "No. That can't happen."

"He'd be treated like me," Bruce supplied somberly, "I won't let it happen. No one deserves to be hunted."

"W-What are you guys talking about?" A concerned Naruto asked, only to be ignored.

"We need to make an identity for him," Tony said as he whipped his phone out and began hacking, "Set him up in a school. Give him the basic knowledge that he needs to know."

"Pepper and I can take him in just before his school starts so he can remain nearby," Tony said, "Stark Tower is going to be completed around that time. And I think we'd be able to give him some tips on how to blend in."

"Because that's what you're good at," Bruce said with a smirk. Ignoring his friend's scowl, Bruce continued, "I could help him contain his emotions I guess. Maybe his abilities are powered by that."

"The fox will stay with me," Dr. Strange said, getting a growl from the possessed corpse, "I don't trust it. Not yet."

"**Fine!"**

"WOULD SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON?" Naruto exclaimed with his hands above his head, not noticing the blue glow that encased them. The crystals hanging from the chandelier in the room suddenly exploded just after his exclamation. All eyes went to Naruto for the second time and the blonde blinked before sheepishly asking, "D-Did I do that?"

After a long silence, Tony spoke, "Bruce?"

"Yeah?"

"You might want to start teaching him..." the billionaire said. The chain keeping the chandelier in the air snapped and fell to the ground, resulting in a large bang. Once the room stilled once again, Tony finished his thought from before, "Now."

* * *

"Focus your breathing," Bruce said to the wayward shinobi. They now sat in a empty room within the Sanctum Sanctorum, under the watchful eye of Dr. Strange while Wong helped Tony create a new identity for the blonde. The young teen was currently shirtless as was his 'teacher', sitting across from him in the lotus position. Stephen had suggested they first have Naruto try to get a grasp over the power.

Naruto took in some air as he sat with closed eyes, trying to get a feel for this new power. He could barely feel the Kyuubi's taint, that small bit of evil that was within his chakra, but his chakra felt more...pure. It felt potent and powerful. Like he was one of the only people that could manipulate it.

A blue glow started to appear around the blonde, similar to the bright red that the Hulk had fought before but not quite, it was more natural. Naruto's eyes beneath his eyelids became solid white orbs as his hair, face, and body all seemed to become the shade of his eyes. Bruce had to resist the urge to stare in awe, focusing on the device in his hands that would read the various radiations coming off of the teen. Small amounts of Gamma.

"Alright Naruto, that's enough," Bruce said to the teen. Naruto didn't seem to hear him, and a blue light continued to grow out from his place in the lotus position. A sphere appeared around him and Bruce found himself backing away as his device beeped in alarm. The teen started to levitate and his mouth opened slightly as he breathed, revealing that his internal colorings had changed to a light yellowish-white while his whiskers seemed to start glowing.

"Naruto!" Bruce called out to the boy once more, stirring him from his meditation. Naruto's eyes snapped open, now a bright yellow like the three marks on his face and the inside of his mouth. The light died down and Naruto fell back to the floor, spread eagle and panting heavily.

Sighing in relief, Bruce walked over to the teen and knelt next to him, putting the scanner next to the half-naked teen's head and asked, "So how'd it feel?"

Opening his once again blue eyes, the blonde gave a small grin as he replied, "It felt magnificent."

"Addicting magnificent or something else?" the scientist asked. Naruto sighed and closed his eyes.

"It just felt, warm, yanno? Kind of like, like being hugged and being safe. I felt like I could have done anything, even go home..." He trailed off before asking, "Do you think I could...I mean, would it be possible?"

"Naruto, you may be onto something," Bruce said before frowning, "But don't start using it willy-nilly ok? We don't know what the repercussions of this power could be."

"Dr. Banner is right, Naruto," Strange said as he stepped forward, "'With great power, comes great responsibility.' Can you be responsible to not use it consciously? No, not yet, but soon you will be able to."

"Then I could maybe go home, right?" Naruto asked. Strange began to nod when he suddenly stilled and looked to the sky.

"I sense...something," he said with a frown before looking at the two staring at him curiously, "Continue with your meditation, minus tapping into the powers. I'll send Wong to assist you Dr. Banner. I must go meditate."

With that and a curt nod, Dr. Strange left the room in a worried stride. He could have sworn that he felt a ripple in the planet's magical shield, but it should have been impossible. He didn't sense any evil entity or force along with the ripple.

* * *

What Dr. Strange didn't know, was that four astronauts on a mission to a advanced space station for SHIELD, had just been struck by a stray wave of cosmic rays, accidentally summoned by a certain blonde shinobi. They would be rescued and held in a protected environment by the order of a certain Commander. Because of this incident, SHIELD missed the warning scanner that would have locked onto Naruto's position and the beacon of a second source of similar power, although much weaker, located smack dab in the middle of Latveria, a small country within Russia.

* * *

**AN: Oh yeah, Naruto created the Fantastic Four. Can you believe **_**that**_** shit? But yeah, the FF will be introduced first along with the big bad Doctor Doom. Naruto's more of a learner by doing rather than 'meditating' so I have a plan to keep him true to character while not deviating from what Bruce Banner and Stephen Strange would have him do.**

**Enough of my rambling. Onto the next issue!**

**REVIEW!**


	4. The Newest Stark

**DISCLAIMER: I own neither the Marvel Film Universe nor Naruto...this is my own idea.**

**Maelstrom: The Youngest Avenger**

**Issue 4: The Newest Stark**

* * *

Naruto groaned as he trudged down the hallway of the Sanctum Sanctorum. It had been a month since he arrived in this millionth dimension, and he had only _just_ managed to learn to gain some control over his Power Cosmic abilities last night. The phrase 'chakra control-less', as Kakashi had called him once during a training session, failed to apply to him anymore according to the Sorcerer Supreme. Like before, he could scale buildings by walking up them and make grand leaps, but according to Dr. Strange, soon enough he might be able to _fly_.

_Wouldn't Sasuke-teme be surprised then!_ Naruto mused with a bragging smirk crossing his face before it fell once more as he remembered Dr. Strange's words. His reclamation of the sorcerer's favorite cautionary phrase to keep the blonde from getting his hopes too high. His constantly moving thoughts then brought him back to what today's session was going to be.

Sparring.

Now normally, Naruto would enjoy sparring, as he lasted the longest due to his immense amount of chakra and, had he used his brain before, would have won eventually against Sasuke. That and the guy actually fought pretty well, so Naruto thought he was growing from it. He would have been, had Kakashi taken the time to explain to Naruto his flaws in certain strikes or attacks, like he did for Sasuke...not that Naruto knew that.

However, this wasn't like _that_ sparring, this was more or less learning on the fly. It could even be called a fight for his life. Sure, he normally learned through kinetic theory which is the act of learning by doing, but this was actual survival combat against Dr. Bruce Banner...Or rather his alter ego, The Hulk. The Big Green Oaf (as Tony called him) was vigorously violent and Naruto was sure–no, scratch that, Naruto was _positive_ that he _still_ had a mild concussion from last Tuesday's sparring session.

He didn't know that The Hulk could kick _that_ hard when he wanted to, but like they say, you learn something new everyday.

Stopping in front of the pentagram marked door, Naruto lifted his hand to knock on it when Wong suddenly gripped his other arm tightly. Across Wong's shoulders rested Kurama, the former Kyuubi no Kitsune of his dimension, but something was off.

The fox hadn't taunted him upon approach.

Granted, he and the little resurrected fur ball had gotten into a much more healthier relationship over the past month, but it was still the beast that killed shinobi from his village, the Yondaime and he was the boy that still contained the biju's chakra. Kurama and Wong would often be seen together or the fox with Dr. Strange. Naruto wasn't sure, but he had suggested that Kurama was attempting to possess Wong, only to be proven wrong when Dr. Strange admitted he had thought of that earlier and tested for it. The Sorcerer Supreme then said that he believed the new spirit in the body had taken to some of the old bodies' memories, such as hopping on Wong's shoulder or recognizing Wong as one who had raised him.

"Whoa! Wong, where's the fire?" Naruto asked, surprised by the rushed grip that was threatening to pull his arm out of his socket. Wong whipped his head back to look at the younger man, the aide's eyes narrowed into stern orbs.

"_Quiet_! Dr. Banner has a guest that we'd rather didn't know about you," Wong hissed as he pulled Naruto along. The blonde, confused and now slightly concerned, complied with the order and followed the monk-like sorcerer/butler with a fox draped over his shoulders.

* * *

Upstairs, one Bruce Banner was internally sweating as he stood across from someone he didn't want to see ever again.

General Thaddeus E. 'Thunderbolt' Ross.

The man whose career went down the drain because of not one, but _two_ failed attempts to duplicate the Super Soldier Serum. He really hoped that Ross wasn't here to cause trouble.

"_Banner_," the General said with his gruff tone, "I heard...I heard they found _him_."

Bruce blinked several times before he realized what Ross was, or rather _wasn't_, asking and mentally interpreted his statement as: "Did they really find Captain America?"

"He's a good man," Bruce admitted timidly, just barely able to force a smile on his face, "I think he's been hanging out near Queens and trying to re-discover his hometown. A lot has changed since he was last there."

Ross hummed before he looked to his escort. The sunglasses wearing man with a quiver on his back nodded once and the General frowned. Ross turned to leave before looking back at Banner, "You're lucky SHIELD wants the Hulk alive, but you'll screw up. You always do, _Banner_. And I'll be there waiting when that happens."

"That's enough, _General_," the sunglasses-wearing man warned, putting a hand on Ross' shoulder, "You got your word with Dr. Banner. Now beat it before I tell Fury that the Abomination escaped. _Again_."

Ross scowled at the man before leaving the Sanctorum walking out to a Humvee where two armed soldiers waited for him. Once Ross entered the vehicle, and said Humvee drove off, the remaining man shook his head. Looking at Bruce, the man gave a friendly grin and offered his hand, "Great to see you, Doc. Sorry about that, orders from above and all."

"It's no problem," Bruce replied with a small smile as he took the offered hand and shook it once, "Glad to see you're well, Agent Barton. How's Agent Romanov?"

"I'm pleased to say Natasha and I are doing just fine," Clint 'Hawkeye' Barton replied with a smirk before looking around, "And I thought Tony would be here. What, the big bad billionaire off partying again?"

Bruce chuckled, "No, he's just getting something set up for a mutual friend of ours. Can I get you anything?"

"No, I'm good. Oh, by any chance have you heard from Capt. Rogers?" Clint asked, a glisten of concern in his eye, "He's gone missing. Fury's got Hill on the case, but between you and I, she's not as good at finding things, let alone people, as others are."

The timid smile on his face vanished as Bruce frowned, "No, but I can ask Dr. Strange to assist in the search. Where was he last seen?"

"He was investigating a report of a known assassin: The Winter Soldier," the dark haired archer replied with a frown, "We lost him on the borders of a small country known as Latveria."

"Latveria?" Bruce repeated before frowning and rubbing his chin, "Why does that sound familiar?"

"I don't know, but I gotta get back to the 'Carrier," Clint sighed, "An astronaut, two scientists, and the younger brother of one of the scientists are having severe reactions to some sort of cosmic radiation."

Bruce looked up, "Say again?"

Clint chuckled, "Actually it's kind of funny. Some of us on the Carrier are calling them the 'Fantastic Four' with how they've changed."

"No, no, the thing about the radiation," the scientist said, "What kind of radiation were they exposed to?"

"Cosmic radiation, stuff similar to the Tesseract's readings," the SHIELD agent replied nonchalantly, "One of them has been physically changed permanently. Shame too, Grimm didn't deserve that. He's a good guy."

"Grimm? As in, Ben Grimm the astronaut? Who stopped the panel of the International Space Station from breaking off?" Getting a nod, Bruce felt his stomach drop before he continued, "The scientists...they wouldn't be Reed Richards and Sue Storm would they?"

Clint smirked and crossed his arms, "Bruce, I thought hacking into SHIELD's files was _Stark's_ pastime?"

Bruce forced a smile at the agent's joke, while internally he wondered just what this incident had in relation to Naruto's power. There was too much of a coincidence for the two forces not to be related, in Banner's mind. Clint gave the man another handshake before he left the Sanctorum. Bruce went to the window to watch the archer speed off on a black Kawasaki Ninja before he ran down the hall to find Naruto.

* * *

Said blonde Power Cosmic user was flipping through the original Captain America comic issue number three. It was little known, but Stephen Strange was just as avid a fan of the Super Soldier as the Agent Johnson that Tony liked to talk about. Strange used his powers of mystics to preserve the issues despite their age and their use. They snapped back to the original print once someone had finished reading them.

Naruto had to give it to this Rogers guy; he was the ultimate Hero. Though, the Nazi group reminded him of someone back in his home village...but he couldn't remember whom exactly.

"Naruto!" The blonde looked up from his comic, giving a foxy grin to the Gamma expert as he slowed from his jog to stop in front of the blonde.

"Hey Dr. Banner!" Naruto greeted, closing the comic and carefully putting it back in its case, where it glowed briefly before reverting to pristine condition. The blonde snapped from his quick awe at the magic, focusing on the scientist once again, "What? Your Big Bad Friend too afraid to get his ass kicked today?"

Bruce frowned, "Naruto...Do you remember what happened a month ago?"

"A month?" Naruto blinked in confusion before crossing his arms and thinking. When it hit him he snapped his fingers and beamed, "Oh yeah! I activated my Power Cosmic form for the first time after the Fox was pulled out of my gut!"

"Yes, but did you _feel_ anything from that?" the brown haired scientist asked urgently. His panic slightly dimmed when he was granted a response.

"Um...I felt...Power? I don't know, Dr. Banner," Naruto sighed as he rubbed his neck, "I'm too accustomed to the Cosmic now, I can't remember feeling anything that different."

"Oh, right...sorry, Naruto," apologized the scientist as he remembered that Naruto was still learning about his powers. There was no way the blonde would know that he possibly mutated four people in space.

Right?

Right.

* * *

"Run that by me again, JARVIS?" Tony asked as he hacked into the Internal Revenue Service database. The billionaire was _still_ setting up the dimension travelling ninja's identity and after being set back by constant firewalls, calls from a certain one-eyed director of a certain agency named after a type of armor one held in their hand, and a few warnings from his best friend, Naruto Uzumaki was nearly a real person.

Until JARVIS picked up on something that set back all of their work.

"_Sir, there's already a recorded Naruto Uzumaki in the databanks of Tokyo, Japan,_" the AI informed his creator, "_It appears the boy is a delinquent, and has a rather lengthy record with the authorities. Perhaps if we place our youth under a different name?_"

_Well shit,_ Tony thought as he leaned back, "Can you pull a image up?"

As Tony feared, there in front of him was the Power Cosmic-using teen's dimensional counterpart, holding a place card with various kanji placed on it. His left eye was black and there was a fresh cut on the right side of his bottom lip. Other than the signs of a physical altercation, the boy was a carbon copy of the most recent addition to their dimension.

"_Unfortunately, this young man is a 97.85% match for Dr. Banner's guest,"_ JARVIS informed the billionaire; "_Any attempt to enroll him under this identification would result in a full SHIELD investigation. Not to mention the potential fallout that would occur if the two were ever to meet._"

"Great...Now what do I do?" Tony muttered to himself with a frown. Two arms suddenly wrapped around his neck in a light hug and the billionaire-turned-hero grinned before he looked up to give a greeting kiss to his girlfriend. Breaking from the kiss, he said, "Hello Pepper!"

"Hello to you, too. I think," the redheaded woman said with a playful smile crossing her face as she looked at the image, "So...Is Fury having you look for a blonde teen or is this a side project?"

"It's actually the latter, but not in the way you're thinking," Stark replied with a smirk, getting a light swat from the redhead for his lewd humor. The man sighed afterwards and shut the image off before looking back at the holo-screen for the IRS databanks, "A friend of Bruce's has gotten into a bit of a jam..."

"Is this about that incident at Dr. Strange's home you told me you couldn't _tell_ me about?" she asked, "The whole, magic thing?"

Tony chuckled, "You're too smart for your own good, Pep. How are you supposed to play innocent if I tell you everything?"

"The same way you sleep on the couch _alone_ if you _don't_ tell me anything," Pepper replied with a smirk. At Tony's horrified look, she giggled, "You're lucky JARVIS told me all about Naruto."

"_I do apologize, Sir. Ms. Potts is rather persuasive when she wants to be,_" the AI said apologetically. Tony frowned and glared at the panel on the wall.

"Traitor," he muttered before looking at his girlfriend with a bit of disapproval, "Alright, Miss interrogate-my-personal-artificial-intelligence, that boy is this dimension's Naruto Uzumaki. The kid down at the Sanctum Sanctorum is from a very distant dimension, and needs some identification to keep Fury and his goons from sticking him on a table."

"Is he really that different?" Pepper asked with a frown.

Tony chuckled, "That's an understatement. In his home dimension he's a soldier. Trained to fight and kill...poor kid's barely sixteen, too. You should see him when he activates that Cosmic power of his."

"Cosmic?"

"Ah, sorry. Get this; the boy's dimension has its own tesseract. Unlike us, where we have advanced technology and we slowly evolved, his people have managed to develop abilities that would make Thor envious. Controlling elements, making solid clones, creating illusions. You name it and that kid can probably do it," the inventor said with a hint of envy. Leaning back in his seat, Tony frowned, "However, he's gonna end up trapped at the Santorum if I can't get him an ID."

Pepper frowned as well, looking at the forgery page that was up on the thin holo-screen, before reaching out and grabbing it. Pulling it closer, Pepper began scanning over what Tony had done so far. The blonde's name, birthday, and blood type were all set, however, the country of origin and a background was what was holding Tony up. If he simply put down United States of America, SHIELD would be obligated to check it out, and for some reason, Tony didn't want that. Most likely due to the fact the boy had powers that would rival a God if what Tony said was true.

A sudden light bulb went off in Pepper's head and she shoved Tony out of the way. The billionaire inventor yelped as his swiveling chair rolled to the side while his girlfriend started typing at a rapid pace. Scooting back to where Pepper stood, Tony started reading what she was typing and a grin crossed his face.

Kissing the redheaded woman on the cheek, not even making her blink, Tony asked with a smile, "Have I ever told you that you're brilliant?"

"Several times," Pepper replied with a smirk as she continued to type.

* * *

The next day, Naruto was in Strange's library, reading an original issue of Superman and chewing on a Twizzler. He had become a fan of the red, stringy candy, specifically the strawberry flavor that was the face of the product and tended to be nibbling on one whenever he could get away with it, which was surprisingly not often. Wong was rather adamant about him sticking to a healthy nutrition, reminding him of Kakashi in a way. The one-eyed jonin would often chastise Naruto about not eating his fruits (Blech!), dropping off the occasional basket of fruits just to annoy him.

Naruto was just coming to the turning point of the comic, which would reveal who was behind the release of a muscular green Jimmy Olsen clone, when a hand smacked him upside the head. The blonde, spooked, threw the comic in the air and yelped, before holding a hand against the abused area.

"Dammit, Tony!" Naruto swore as he spun around to glare at the grinning man, "Doc Strange will have my hide if he sees Twizzlers on the floor!"

While the blonde started to pick up the spilled candies, Tony chuckled, "Sorry, Naruto. Just thought I'd surprise you with some good news."

"Yeah? What?" the blonde asked in a distracted manner, still picking up the Twizzlers while determining which were safe to put back in the package and which were trash. The five-second rule was awesome.

"I've finished your ID!" Tony announced with a smile. Naruto instantly turned on the man with shock written on his face, the Twizzlers in his hands dropped and immediately forgotten.

"Really? Does that mean I can finally get out of here?" the blonde from another dimension asked eagerly.

"Yup!" Tony replied, mimicking the teen's enthusiasm, before he sighed, "But...there's one condition."

That sobered Naruto up quickly. Almost timidly, and making Tony briefly feel guilty for pulling this trick, the teen asked, "W-What's the condition?"

"Well...I have to adopt you."

And like that, the ominous aura in the air vanished, leaving Tony with the rare sight of a confused and disbelieving Naruto gaping at him. The billionaire couldn't take the sight for long before he burst into laughter. Naruto broke the silence with a cautionary, "You're serious?"

"Hell yeah," Tony replied as his laughter died down to chuckles, "Hoo, man...Kid, you should've seen your face! I should've had JARVIS take a picture!"

Naruto's shocked face turned into a smiling one before he launched himself at the man and hugged him. Tony, although surprised by the action, welcomed it with a hug of his own. While he may not like being handed things, hugging things were a different story altogether. He is the face of a multibillion-dollar company, hugging people is practically part of the job.

"Let's go find the magic man and Bruce, then I'll take you back to Stark Tower to meet Pepper," Tony suggested when Naruto released him. He got a beaming smile from the teen that made him sure Pepper's idea was not only a good one, but also the best one.

* * *

**AN: And I'm cutting it there. Thanks for reading, sorry for the wait, but from now on, don't take what I say on updates for the deal. I've realized that I constantly break my promises when I specify update dates.**

**Besides, people like surprises, right?**

**REVIEW!**


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